1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning device for removing a developer from a surface of an image bearing member, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus includes, for example, electrophotographic copying machines, laser beam printers, light-emitting diode (LED) printers, and facsimile machines. The process cartridge refers to a cartridge including at least an image bearing member and a cleaning device integrally assembled and detachably attached to the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A cleaning blade method is employed in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus as a cleaning means for removing, in order to repetitively use an image bearing member, a developer remaining on the image bearing member after transferring a developer image from the image bearing member to a recording medium. In the cleaning blade method, a blade having elasticity is pressed to come in contact with the surface of the image bearing member at a predetermined pressure to remove the developer from the surface of the image bearing member.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-341721 discusses a structure in which a blade is attached by molding to an end portion of a metal plate serving as a supporting member. The metal plate is attached to a frame with a screw or the like to fix the cleaning member, so that the cleaning member comes in contact with the surface of an image bearing member at a predetermined pressure.